mission to Israel. Many of the
denomination lines," Warshay says. "Our neighbors
That idyllic picture began to change in the mid-
families they brought together
are friendly with non-Jewish neighbors and non-
1950s when Detroiters started moving north. Up
remain friends.
observant Jews."
went brick bungalows and colonials fit for growing
Such cross-denominational
Part of that camaraderie was surely generated by
families.
activities
had rarely been backed
the
Neighborhood
Project,
which,
in
addition
to
Oak Park remained a family community even after
institutionally.
handing
out
loans,
offered
cross-denominational
pro-
Interstate 696 cut through the city, thanks to three
"Rabbi Weil was an ecumenical
gramming.
federally funded parks built on freeway decks
force," Freedman says. "It wasn't
Neighborhood Project's Freedman says, "We came
(including one in Southfield). The Orthodox com-
like that before he came."
together for what we share, not for what divides us.
munity, spearheaded by Rabbi Freedman, along with
That openness exists today to
[Oak Park is] small and you have three streams [of
civic leaders, lobbied Washington for support for the
Marion Freedman
a
degree.
YIOP's current rabbi,
Judaism] right next to each other." That exists in
parks that connected homes in north Oak Park to
Reuven
Spolter,
talks regularly
West
Bloomfield,
for
example,
but
without
the
the Jewish Community Center on 1 0 Mile and the
with
Rabbis
Klein
and
Nelson.
Rabbi
Nelson
has a
camaraderie.
synagogues nearby. With the decks, families could
longtime
friendship
with
Rabbi
Dov
Loketch
of
"Sidewalks
connect
people,"
Freedman
says.
"I
live
continue to walk to synagogue.
Mogen Avraham, based in the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah
Some families and institutions did move. Still, Jews in West Bloomfield and I like my neighborhood, but
school building in nearby Southfield.
we are not connected in the same way. There is
kept coming back for services at Congregation Beth
Yet December's "Chanukah in the 'Hood" pro-
something about the geography, particularly the
Shalom or Temple Emanu-El. Of Beth Shalom's cur-
gram, involving YIOP, Beth Shalom, Emanu-El and
northern end of Oak Park where you have the con-
rent 600-family membership, 10 percent live in
the JCC, drew fire from many
walking distance today; in
of
Rabbi Spolter's Orthodox
1972, 25 percent walked to
counterparts.
shul, says Rabbi David
The event itself attracted a
Nelson. The majority of
poor turnout, according to the
Emanu-El's 600 families live
three rabbis involved, perhaps
within a two-mile radius,
attributable to timing. It was
says Rabbi Joseph Klein.
held
on the only Sunday of
Understanding the threat
Chanukah,
when many fami-
the highway posed to Oak
lies
host
their
own gatherings.
Park, the Jewish Federation
"Detroit
is
a
very segregated
of Metr*litah Detroit cre-
city, by ethnic group and by
ated the Neighborhood
economics," says Rabbi Alon
Project in 1986 as a way to
Tolwin of the Jewish outreach
retain the city's Jewish neigh-
group Aish HaTorah. Rabbi
borhoods. The program
Tolwin
lived in Oak Park for a
offered interest-free loans to
decade
before
moving across
Jews who wanted to buy a
Greenfield
Road
to Southfield.
house in Oak Park or parts
"[In] Oak Park, you have rich
of Southfield and to residents
and poor living side by side."
in those areas who wanted to
When Rabbi Tolwin lived in
•
renovate.
Oak Park, he had a close rela-
After granting nearly 1,400
tionship with one of two non-
loans, the program closed in
Orthodox neighbors. "They
2003 because it achieved its
were
very religious,
goal of stabilizing the Jewish
Conservative
Jews, sensitive
population, says its former
and outgoing and friendly.
director, Marion Freedman,
We're still close to them
who is now part of
today."
Federation's planning depart-
Brandon, Bree, Dan and Cyndi Cohen enjoy a Memorial Day cookout in their Oak Park back yard.
His other Jewish neighbor,
ment.
however, "didn't respond to
us," he says. "It's a very case-
Inclusive And Friendly
by-case
thing.
There's
still
a big fear if you get too
centration
of
Jewish
families.
The
[Berkley]
school
The 1990 U.S. Census showed a median Oak Park
close to religious folks, they're going to suck you in.
district is considered acceptable by non-Orthodox
housing value of $63,374. By 2000, that median
There's a certain mystique — it's not socially accept-
Jews, and that's key because that means Jews who .
nearly doubled to $114,400, according to the
able to be frum (observant)."
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. Young want to send their children to public schools can live
Michael Barash, a YIOP member, says there is "lit-
there."
Jewish couples were settling down in Oak Park
tle
interaction with non-Orthodox Jews. But we try
because they liked its sense of community. Oak Park
to
get
along because we respect that observance of
had become a desirable place to live.
Cohesive
Leadership
Judaism
is voluntary."
Nathaniel and Ida Warshay moved to Oak Park in
Rabbi Klein has a different take. Cross-denomina-
There's also willingness by many leaders to work
1991 for its Jewish diversity and access to Berkley
tional friendships "happen in very small pockets of
together.
Schools. In the spring of 1999, they sold their house
the neighborhood, where one family is living next to
This was demonstrated most notably during the
for nearly twice what they paid and bought another
another," he says. "Organizationally, no. With the
tenure of Rabbi Steven Weil, who held the pulpit of
"because we love the area," says Nathaniel.
exception of Young Israel, the Orthodox community
Young Israel of Oak Park (YIOP) from 1994 until
The Warshays, who became Sabbath-observant
would
rather ignore the presence of Reform,
2000
when
he
left
for
Beth
Jacob
in
Los
Angeles.
after they bought that second house, says there was
Conservative
and now Reconstructionist [institu-
Rabbi
Weil
reached
out
to
Rabbi
Paul
Yedwab
of
never animosity between more religious individuals
tions]."
Temple
Israel
and
Rabbi
Stephen
Weiss,
formerly
of
and themselves.
Yet Rabbi Klein sees true camaraderie among him-
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, and together they led a
"Their openness and acceptance didn't recognize
.
SOUL OF OAK PARK on page 24
JN
6/ 2
2005
21